Trebelhorn (49-64) Is Fired by Cubs

The Chicago Cubs got rid of their 11th manager in 12 years Monday, firing Tom Trebelhorn after a last-place finish in the National League Central.

Trebelhorn, hired last October, was the fifth manager fired since the players’ strike Aug. 12. The Cubs were 49-64.

There has been speculation that General Manager Ed Lynch, hired last week, would promote Tony Muser, the Cubs’ third base coach, to manager. While an executive with the San Diego Padres, Lynch interviewed Muser in 1992 for a triple-A managerial job.

Trebelhorn’s firing completed a Cub shake-up. Andy MacPhail was hired last month as the team’s president from the Minnesota Twins and Lynch was hired from the New York Mets.

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Special mediator William J. Usery will join negotiators for the players and owners when baseball’s labor talks resume Wednesday in Washington for the first time since Sept. 9. Union officials are scheduled to meet with player agents Thursday in New York, meaning the resumption of negotiations might not get serious until next week.

In the meantime, pitcher Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers was among 13 players filing for free agency, bringing the total to 22. Fred Claire, Dodger vice president, said he has not had contract talks with either Hershiser or third baseman Tim Wallach, who filed Saturday, but expected to meet with both during the 15-day period when free agents can sign only with their own clubs. Claire said the Dodgers are still evaluating how Hershiser and Wallach fit into the club’s future, if at all.

Four other players--Tom Gordon of Kansas City, Gregg Olson of Atlanta, Chris Gwynn of the Dodgers and Greg Harris of Colorado--filed for free agency. But they were rejected by the owners’ player-relations committee on the basis that they lack the required six years of major league tenure because of time lost during the strike. Eight players have now filed and been rejected on the service-time issue.

“It’s clear that we’re going to have to challenge that (through the grievance procedure), and we’ll do so shortly,” union lawyer Eugene Orza said.

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Angel reliever Ken Patterson and catcher Andy Allanson cleared waivers and elected to become free agents. The Angels filled the two roster spots with pitcher Mike James and utility player Luis Raven. They also took pitcher Kyle Sebach off the roster and sent him outright to triple-A Vancouver.

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Felipe Alou, who guided the Montreal Expos to the best record in the majors before the strike ended the season, was a near-unanimous choice as National League manager of the year. . . . Left-hander Jimmy Key of the New York Yankees will have arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday.

Jurisprudence

C. David Rossen, the former head of Bruce McNall’s thoroughbred operation, pleaded not guilty to a charge that he helped the King president get loans fraudulently and avoid repaying them.

The plea was entered even though Rossen’s lawyer had previously said his client ultimately will plead guilty. Rossen’s lawyer, Robert Corbin, apparently entered a not guilty plea to Chief Magistrate Judge Volney Brown Jr. because federal law requires that only a district judge accept guilty pleas.

College Basketball

Allen Iverson, one of the country’s top freshmen basketball players, has been declared ineligible by Georgetown for using plane tickets issued by a shoe company last summer, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

However, the NCAA said it probably will reinstate the 19-year-old guard because he reimbursed the company for the tickets.

The Post said the school informed the NCAA of the alleged infraction last week after it learned Iverson had used tickets supplied by Nike to travel to and from a basketball tournament in Indianapolis in July of 1993.

Names in the News

Former San Francisco 49er kicker Mike Cofer, 30, was selected as rookie driver of the year on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour. . . . Former Nevada Las Vegas assistant Tim Grgurich met with school officials to discuss his terms for taking over as the university’s new basketball coach. . . . Lee Trevino, leading the PGA Seniors circuit in victories this year with six, will be sidelined indefinitely because of a bulging disk in his neck. . . . Lionel Simmons of the Sacramento Kings will be sidelined at least four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. . . . Right wing Ulf Dahlen signed a five-year contract with the San Jose Sharks.

REVOLVING DOOR

A list of the 11 managers in 12 years for the Chicago Cubs and their won-lost records:

Year Finish Manager Record 1982 5th Lee Elia 73-89 1983 5th Lee Elia 54-69 Charlie Fox 17-22 1984 1st Jim Frey 96-65 1985 4th Jim Frey 77-84 1986 5th Jim Frey 23-33 John Vukovich 1-1 Gene Michael 46-56 1987 6th Gene Michael 68-68 Frank Lucchesi 8-17 1988 4th Don Zimmer 77-85 1989 1st Don Zimmer 93-69 1990 4th Don Zimmer 77-85 1991 4th Don Zimmer 18-19 Joe Altobelli 0-1 Jim Essian 59-63 1992 4th Jim Lefebvre 78-84 1993 4th Jim Lefebvre 84-78 1994 5th Tom Trebelhorn 49-64

FIRING LINE

Managers who have been replaced after the 1994 season and their successors, if hired.

Team Fired Hired Baltimore Johnny Oates Phil Regan Boston Butch Hobson None Chicago Cubs Tom Trebelhorn None Kansas City Hal McRae Bob Boone Texas Kevin Kennedy None